Fence-wire tightener



(No Model.)

L. J. MIOHAELS. FENCE WIRE TIGHTENER.

No. 520.325. Patented May 22, 1894.

III II 94 WWW wilmeoom UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY J. MIOHAELS, OF TIFFIN, OHIO.

FENCE-WIRE TIGHTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,325, dated May 22,1894.

Applica ion fil March 2,1894. Serial No. 502,108. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEROY J. MIGHAELS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tiffin, in the county of Seneca and State of- Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Wire Tighteners,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa fence post carrying a series of my devices; Fig.2 a plan view of oneof the devices attached to apost; Fig. 3 a detached side elevation,partly in section, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of the spool or drumand the removable ratchetwheel.

This invention relates to that class of fencewire tighteners which areadapted to be secured to the sides of the fence-posts at suitabledistances apart and which are independently adjustable, so that thehorizontal wires of the fence may be independently tightened, asoccasion may require.

The object of the present improvements is to provide an extremely simpleand practicable and durable device that shall be reversible and alsopositively locked against premature or mischievous disturbance, as ismore fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in theclaims appended.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates an ordinary fencepost, 2 the usual wires of the fence, and 3 my improved tighteningdevices, which are secured to the post by means of screws or nails 4,one of the devices being provided for each wire of the fence. Eachdevice consists of an angular bracket 5 adapted to be secured to thepost by means of the aforesaid screws or nails 4:. Thewirespoolordrumtihasits outer journal7journaledin anopeningformedin thebracket 5 and its inner journal 7 journaled in the concentric bearingformed by boring a suitable hole in the adjacent face of the post. Onthe outer end of the outer journal 7 is an angular projection 8 for thereception of a wrench, this angular portion projecting beyond thebracket. Formed between the inner journal and the inner end of the spoolis another angular portion 9, upon which is slipped a removableratchet-wheel 10, with which engages a pawl 11 pivoted upon the adjacentface of the post. Formed in the upper edge of the pawl is a rectangularrecess 12, and in this recess the lower end of a locking plate 13 isadapted to rest when the pawl is locked in engagement with theratchet-wheel. The plate 13 is provided with a longitudinal slot 14 andthrough this slot passes the securing screw 15 which has its headcountersunk in the slot as shown. As will be seen to tighten a fencewire the spool is rotated by means of a wrench in the usual manner, andwhen sufficient tension on the wire is obtained the pawl is positivelylocked in engagement with the ratchetwheel by simply tightening screw15. Of

course before turning the spool to tighten the wires the screw 15 mustbe loosened so that the pawl may readily slip over the ratchet teethwhen the spool is rotated.

The object in making the ratchet-wheel removable from the spool shaft isto enable the device to be reversed on the post without having tocarryit to the opposite side of the post. If the ratchet-wheel weresolid on the spool shaft the device could only be made to draw the wiresfrom the opposite direction to that shown by securing it on theoppositeside of the post, as is obvious; but by making the ratchet wheelremovable and reversible, it is evident that the device may be readilyadjusted to draw the wires from either direction. Of course, when theratchet wheel is reversed so as to turn its teeth in the oppositedirection to that shown, it is necessary also to reverse the bracket andpawl, securing them on the opposite side of the spindle to that shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. Afence-wire tightener, consisting of a bracket, a spool journaled thereinand carrying a ratchet-Wheel, a pawl pivoted adjacent to the ratchetwheel and adapted to engage the same, and a locking-plate adj ustablysecured adjacent to the pawl and adapted to bear upon the same and holdit in engagement with the ratchet wheel, and means for positivelylocking said plate, substantially as described.

2. In a fence-wire tightener, the combination of a support, a reversiblebracket bolted thereon,a spool journaled in the bracket and the adjacentsupport and provided with an angular portion for the reception of awrench,

a removable and reversible ratchet-wheel In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature in mounted on the spool-shaft adjacent to the presence of twowitnesses. support, a pivoted reversible pawl carried by the support, anadjustable looking plate positively engaging the pawl, and means forpositively but removably locking said plate, substantially as described.

LEROY 'J. MIGHAELS.

Witnesses HARRY TAGGABT, GEORGE A. ROHN.

